2013 nissan juke Reviews and News

You might think that roaring around Nashville Superspeedway in the 2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo and the 2014 Nissan GT-R Track Edition would get a little old. Apparently so did the Nissan representatives in pit lane, who keep gesturing at us to come in from the track.

But perhaps we are mistaken about their intentions. Anyway, we kept roaring around, even though the Nissan guys seemed to grow a little agitated after a while.

Once we finally came in, we were invited to try out the 2013 Nissan Juke Nismo on the autocross course for a while. As it turns out, it all worked out in our favor.

Not Just Marketing
Well, maybe a little marketing.

Nismo has always been the most serious of the go-fast operations under the umbrella of the various Japanese carmakers, and it has been a force behind Nissan's racing operations as well as a maker of aftermarket speed parts. Now it's moving beyond its customary catalog of camshafts and anti-roll bars into a full-fledged operation in the style of Audi quattro GmbH, BMW M Division, and Mercedes-Benz AMG. A brand-new showroom for Nismo bits and Nismo-prepared cars has even opened next to Nissan's powertrain engineering center in Tsurumi, where the Datsun 240Z and Datsun 510 sedan were once built.

The 2013 Nissan Juke Nismo is meant to be a taste of what is to come from Nismo. Yes, it's a collection of specialty equipment applied to a faintly unlikely vehicle, yet the result goes down the road in a way that driving enthusiasts like us can fully endorse.

The Atomic Frog
As we walk up to the Nissan Juke Nismo, we think (and not for the first time), that this is a vehicle that looks pretty unlikely, even as a ride to the grocery store. But while the Juke might look like a frog, this particular frog has apparently been irradiated in some kind of A-bomb test and turned into a monster from one of those Japanese movies of the 1950s.

The good part begins with turning up turbocharger boost for the direct-injection, 16-valve, DOHC inline-4 engine. That increases output from the 1.6-liter engine to 197 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, which compares to the 188 hp and 177 lb-ft ratings of the stock powerplant.

These changes aren't big, yet it makes the Juke come alive. It's alert in your hands and feels like a real driving machine when you specify the six-speed manual transmission. It even rides pretty well, as we discovered on a long loop on country roads through the woods around Smyrna, Tennessee, where Nissan builds the Altima and the Frontier.

If you pick the continuously variable transmission (CVT), the Juke Nismo gets even better, since the transmission has been calibrated for more responsiveness rather than for pure fuel economy. Moreover, the CVT allows electronics to shift engine torque fore and aft to enhance traction. Plus, the torque also shifts from side to side across the rear axle to give the chassis a little more cornering bite. The result is not just tire smoke in the autocross but actual speed as well.

Looking Good in a Sci-Fi Way
There's more than lipstick on a frog in the way the Juke Nismo looks, as Nissan has tried hard to make this a real Nismo vehicle.

The front and rear fascias for the bodywork are dedicated Nismo pieces, and the LED accent lights, the red stripe on the rear bumper, and the red outside mirrors are just a few of the detail changes. In fact, the Juke Nismo's bodywork represents a 37 percent increase in aerodynamic downforce over the stock Juke (not that the baseline standard is very demanding).

It's more likely that you'll appreciate the suede-trimmed Nismo seats, which are shaped to deliver some useful support while cornering even while the upholstery shrugs off the occasional spill in the drive-thru lane. The instrument faces are red, and you'll find plenty of special red trim elsewhere within the interior.

The faux-suede rim of the steering wheel even has a bright red band at the twelve o'clock mark to help you center the steering if you get crossed up after falling off the last corner and swirling through the mud. It might seem like an affectation to you, but every racer we know has been in a situation where the red hash mark has come in handy.

The Return of the Nissan Coupe
If you're looking for a little sports coupe from Nissan, the 2013 Juke Nismo is it. It might not look like a Nissan 240SX or even a Subaru BRZ, but the atomic frog delivers the same kind of personalized, high-performance driving experience.

Vehicles like the Juke, the Honda CR-Z, and the Hyundai Veloster show us that driving goodness can come in untraditional wrappers, and things like utility, fuel efficiency, and even sheer affordability make driving-oriented vehicles more appealing, not less.

The 2013 Nissan Juke Nismo lets you ride around with your friends, buy a big-screen TV, take the dirt road to the lake (slowly, please), and still get those Nismo-style thrills when you take the long way home. It's not exactly a Nissan GT-R compressed into the shape of an atomic frog like the wild Nissan Juke R, but you get the idea.

Nissan's Nismo brand is going mainstream, and the firm has chosen the Juke as the first model to wear the badge as a high-volume series production model. Positioning the Juke as a standard bearer for its Nismo brand may seem uncomfortable to some - and downright sacrilegious to others - but it makes commercial sense. The company is seeking volume with Nismo, and the Juke represents an inexpensive way to hook a maturing, brand-aware, virtual audience who are maturing into real-car-buying potential customers.

So, while the imagery at the press event is dominated by Skylines and Le Mans and touring car racers, with a PlayStation Gran Turismo booth backdrop, there's scant visual reference to a compact, upright SUV. Yet, for all the Juke's unlikely positioning, there's a general feeling that Nismo has breathed some magic on Nissan's quirkily styled machine. Arguably, Nismo hasn't given it the best chance with the cynical automotive press. The figures are relatively modest: the 1.6-liter direct injection turbocharged DIG-T engine increases in output by a mere 10 hp over the standard 1.6-liter DIG-T Juke. A maximum of 200 hp is pretty far from devilish; underlining that is the fact that the enhanced performance is achieved without any sacrifice to economy.

Nismo's people claim they're not chasing big power outputs - even if they're keen to ascertain our thoughts on a prototype 220-hp version. (It's better, since they're asking.) Instead, Nismo wants to finesse what's already there, making adjustments to the engine management, traction and stability systems, and good old chassis tuning to improve response, agility and - crucially - entertainment value.

Put like that, the Juke isn't a bad place to start, at least among Nissan's volume sellers. In standard form the Juke is surprisingly entertaining, and Nismo's promise does bear some fruit on the road. Developed both by Nismo and Nissan's Cranfield Technical Centre in Britain, the Juke Nismo is offered in two guises in Europe. The first, the car driven here, is the front-wheel-drive version with a manual six-speed gearbox. It is also offered with all-wheel drive and a CVT. That four-wheel-drive model also gets a more sophisticated multilink rear suspension and torque vectoring control. Nissan USA has not as yet confirmed which model or models will be available here. Given the mention of torque vectoring in its press release, though, it's almost certain to be the four-wheel-drive model with the CVT. Experience with the standard car suggests that the CVT will detract from the fun, and not just from a purist driving point of view.

At the Juke Nismo's launch, Nissan also took the opportunity to unveil the forthcoming Nismo 370Z. Nismo's management was resolute in insisting it will only be offered with three pedals and a stick shift. Nissan USA would be good to follow the same strategy with the Juke, not least because the six-speed manual is one of the reasons the Juke is so enjoyable in the first place.

The shift across the gate is accurate and nicely weighted, the only real complaint with the manual being that the sixth ratio feels a bit short for high-speed cruising. That means big revs, and given the 1.6 DIG-T's relative lack of aural charisma, that's a problem. Turn up the stereo or stay off the freeway, and the Juke Nismo's appeal increases markedly. Nismo's suspension changes have stiffened up the Juke: the spring rates are up and the dampers and anti-roll bars have been tuned to increase body and roll control. In the front-wheel-drive car, the spring rates go up 10 percent all round; the all-wheel-drive model's front springs are stiffened up a further 5 percent on top of that.

The result creates some compromises. For the most part, the Juke Nismo delivers a supple, unobtrusive ride, but high-frequency undulations at speed can upset its composure. It's not so apparent on more interesting roads, where the Nismo becomes a whole lot more fun.

It's here that the changes to the steering are apparent--the wheel is still a touch artificial in its weighting but is fairly accurate and quick enough in its response. The Juke Nismo reaches 62 mph in a relatively sedate 7.8 seconds, but it is not sprinting ability that is its forte, it's the ease of its cross-country pace. That's as much due to the ability of the chassis to carry speed as it is the engine's useful urgency in the mid-range, the Juke proving an able and engaging car to drive. Grip and agility impress, and the Juke is more entertaining and capable than its upright stance would have you imagine, even if a conventional hot hatchback would ultimately be quicker.

Options are few given the sizeable standard equipment list, but if you're one of those gamers who have come to the Nismo via PlayStation or Xbox, then you might find it difficult to resist the supplementary instrumentation and 'G' read-outs on offer via a Nismo-specific app and dash-mounted iPad Mini. Others might not want a big fingerprint-smeared reflective surface cluttering up the otherwise pleasingly styled dashboard or need the information contained within it. Nor might they want the rather obvious decal pack, which includes an over-the-roof and hood-top stripe as well as striping above the doors.

An anomalous machine in Nismo's lineage yet a seminal one for brand expansion, the amount of fun U.S. customers will be able to have in this Juke depends entirely on which model is imported. We'd suggest Nissan stick with the manual and front-wheel drive and wait for those 20 extra horses.

New For 2013

A backup camera becomes standard with the navigation package on Juke SV models, and a new Rockford Fosgate sound system is added to SL models and to SV models with the navigation package. There are three new colors: atomic gold, brilliant silver, pearl white.

Overview

The Juke’s styling might be unusual, but the car has been a runaway success for Nissan, proving that not all small, affordable cars need to look the same. The idea for the Juke is to blend the benefits of a crossover (ride height, all-wheel-drive capability) with the fun aspects of a sports car (responsive engine, engaging handling). The interior is surprisingly commodious for such a compact vehicle, with seating for five and rear seats that fold flat to improve cargo capacity. The turbocharged, direct-injected 1.6-liter in-line four-cylinder engine provides punchy acceleration but still returns decent fuel economy. It can be mated to a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission in front-wheel-drive Jukes, whereas the all-wheel-drive model comes exclusively with the CVT. The Juke is no sports car, but it is far more interesting than the economy cars on which it is based. Minimal body roll and accurate steering make the Juke fun to throw around corners, and its brakes are similarly able to cope with enthusiastic driving. All-wheel-drive models use an independent rear suspension and a torque-vectoring rear differential, which distributes torque between the two rear wheels to improve cornering performance. The Juke is a unique compact crossover that is practical and enjoyable to drive—but its quirky styling is not for everyone.

Safety

Front, side, and side curtain air bags are standard, as are stability and traction control, ABS with brake assist, and a tire-pressure monitoring system.

You'll like:

Responsive turbo engine

Surprisingly fun to drive

Cool interior design

You won't like:

Polarizing design

Some torque steer

<

Poor rearward visibility

Key Competitors For The 2013 Nissan Juke

We now have pricing details on one of the most interesting vehicles Nissan offers: the 2013 Juke Nismo. With a six-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive, the 2013 Nissan Juke Nismo will carry a base price of $23,780, or $26,080 with a CVT and all-wheel drive.

In the transition from show car to production car, many unique features are often left behind, victims of the finance department's red pens, the realities of mass-production and suppliers' capabilities. The production version of the Renault Captur is no exception, being toned down considerably from the concept car shown at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. But the production version still shows an immediately recognizable resemblance to the concept, if you're looking at it head-on. From other angles, it takes a little more imagination.

Fans of the Batman franchise and of funky compact crossovers, Nissan may have the contest for you. Next February, the automaker's British arm is giving away a one-off The Dark Knight Rises Juke Nismo to one lucky fan.

calculator

Change the values below to adjust your monthly payment. All default values are based upon national averages.

Warranty

Recalls

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Nissan Juke, 2012-2013 Infiniti M56, QX56, and 2014-2015 Infiniti Q70 (V8 engine vehicles only), and QX80 vehicles. The fuel pressure sensors may not have been sufficiently tightened during production. As a result, the fuel pressure sensor may loosen with vehicle usage and cause a fuel leak.

Consequences

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could cause a vehicle fire.

Remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will re-torque the fuel pressure sensors free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Potential Units Affected

133,592

Notes

Nissan North America, Inc.

Recall Date

12-31-1969:21:35:50

Component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

Summary

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 Versa Sedan vehicles manufactured July 16, 2013, to January 29, 2014, 2013-2014 Cube vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to October 21, 2013, and 2013-2014 Juke vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to October 22, 2013. When exposed to hot temperatures, the affected vehicles have an engine start/stop button that may stick inside the button housing.

Consequences

If the engine start/stop button gets stuck in the housing, road vibrations may cause the engine to shut off unexpectedly while the vehicle is being driven, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will modify the start/stop switch housing, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by late-August 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.